2 Holts Summit men charged with burglary

Two Holts Summit men have been charged with first-degree burglary in Cole County.Justice Pierce, 22, and Jacob Gerling, 20, are also charged with one count of felony stealing, each.
by News Tribune
Aug. 20 2019 @ 12:05am

Jacob Gerling

Justice Pierce

Two Holts Summit men have been charged with first-degree burglary in Cole County.

Justice Pierce, 22, and Jacob Gerling, 20, are also charged with one count of felony stealing, each.

A Jefferson City Police Department probable cause statement said Pierce and Gerling were at a party in the early morning hours of Aug. 9 in the 200 block of Eastwood Drive.

While at the party, witnesses claimed Pierce and Gerling broke into a safe and stole property such as guns, jewelry and silver.

After he took one of the firearms, Pierce reportedly shot himself in the foot.

Witnesses said after the burglary, Gerling began carrying a backpack.

JCPD learned a mutual friend of Gerling carried a similar backpack into pawnshop in Columbia where the friend proceeded to pawn 44 silver coins that reportedly had been taken in the burglary.

On Saturday, Pierce was brought to the Jefferson City Police Department for questioning where he allegedly admitting to being at the party and shooting himself in the foot.

Also Saturday, JCPD stopped Gerling in a vehicle, and when he was told to get out, an officer reportedly found a silver coin that matched the type of coins stolen in the burglary.